Previewing the Oscar Candidates: Best Director

Every year it seems the directors nominated for the Best Director Oscar are the usual suspects. This year the same directors are at it again but hopefully we'll see some new blood. These are the directors and their movies to look for if you want to check out some of the possible Oscar candidates.

Baz Luhrmann, Australia
Baz Luhrmann might not be a household name or a multiple time Oscar nominee but he was nominated once for Moulin Rouge. Luhrmann is back again with Nicole Kidman. Australia is the story of an English aristocrat who is left to run a cattle station. The movie takes place during World War II and the cattle must be moved due to the threat of being bombed.

Clint Eastwood, Changeling
Clint Eastwood could direct monkeys with his eyes closed and the Academy would nominate him for a Best Directing Oscar. Fortunately he did not direct it with his eyes closed (I think) and Angelina Jolie, John Malkovic, Jeffrey Donovan and Amy Ryan aren't monkeys.

Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Why Danny Boyle and Slumdog Millionaire? I'm picking Danny Boyle mainly just because I don't want to pick Ron Howard again, or Ridley Scott again and I doubt Christopher Nolan will get consideration.

Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler
I doubt that the Wrestler will get in the list of Best Picture nominees but a lot of people think Darren Aronofsky was robbed when he wasn't nominated for Requiem for a Dream and the Academy likes to pay back those that should have gotten a nomination. The Fountain wasn't liked well enough to for Aronofsky to get his payback but The Wrestler is.

David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
David Fincher and Brad Pitt have teamed up for very good movies twice before in Fight Club and Se7en but this is Fincher's chance to finally to get an Oscar nomination. The good news for Fincher is that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will be a great visual movie.

Gus Van Sant, Milk
I don't know how many Oscars Milk will win since there is some tough competition but it definitely looks like the favorite for the most Oscar nominations. Some people think that the homosexual subject in Milk will be better than Brokeback Mountain.